The owner already plans to restore the the vintage vehicle again.

Winning an award at a concours d’elegance requires an astounding amount of money and time, so having that huge investment roll into a golf course’s lagoon must be a ghastly experience. Sadly, an unfortunate owner of a 1938 Packard 1605 Super Eight Convertible Sedan now knows that pain after his immaculate vehicle ended up submerged in water at the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance.

According to the local The Island Packet newspaper, a woman allegedly had her hand inside the car before it rolled away. Bystanders attempted to stop the vehicle but were unable to save it. By the time the big Packard stopped, only a small bit of the roof was still visible above the water. A salvage diver and tow truck was necessary for getting the the vintage ride out of the pond.

“This was most unfortunate,” Carolyn Vanagel, festival president told The Island Packet. “We feel badly for the owners whose car had just won best-of-class.”

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The owner, Ralph Marano, wasn’t with the car at the time. He was having a celebratory lunch after this newly restored Packard won its award. He told The Island Packet that he initially didn’t believe the call telling him about the catastrophe.

Marano owns 63 Packards, and he already plans to restore this one a second time. The good news is that the car is insured and doesn’t look too badly damaged in the above video. Water can certainly cause significant problems for a vehicle, but the body at least still looks in remarkable shape after its bath. Maybe Murano can get it back on the road again soon.